Click
by Phrenik
Summary: On the way to DC, Daryl and Beth must fight the horrors of the new world and their own inner conflicts to survive. Accepting the love they find in each other, they are given new hope and a new reason to live.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: First story ever. Be gentle. Some things to note - this took me a month to write. Hopefully, I'll be able to speed up now but I'm still slow. Also, I am doing this crazy thing where I have an included soundtrack to go along with the story so at the top of every chapter, there will be a song or two and an asterisk system. If you listen to the song while you read that particular part, it makes it so much better! Let me know what you guys think.  
*Thomas Newman - Any Other Name**

For as long as he could remember, Daryl was always taking care of himself. No one to rely on and nobody to care. He hadn't realized how damning that was until he'd ended up stuck with Rick's group. Things had changed so much since then. Even though he had found a family in them, something else was always missing, something more. That missing piece didn't materialize until after the prison fell, and he once again found himself stuck. He cared about Beth, but he couldn't help feeling more like a bodyguard at first. In a matter of weeks, she had gone from merely being his responsibility to becoming his entire world.

He couldn't imagine a future without her now. Well, realistically, he could, but it was so bleak he didn't care to think about it. It all happened so fast. And it was then that he discovered she was the missing piece all along. She moved him beyond comprehension and something tugged at him inside that he couldn't quite put his finger on; they just clicked. He'd never felt anything like it before. All he knew was that, suddenly, he couldn't stand to be more than 10 feet away from Beth. And for the first time in his life, Daryl felt safe; for the first time, he was truly happy. She gave his life meaning and purpose. Without her, he was a drifter inside himself, lost in the throes of his own head.

Daryl's memories got blurry after that, particularly after the night Beth was taken. He recalled being numb all the way down to his bones. Defeated and despondent, he could've been in ultimate peril and he wouldn't have given a shit. It was more a matter of luck that his survival instinct had kicked in when Joe's group of douchebags came along. He was surprised when he found out they were tracking Rick and quickly moved to defend the man who had become like a brother to him. That confrontation hadn't gone over smoothly, and he had come out with his fair share of physical reminders. A black eye, several cuts and scrapes, and more bruises than he could count on one hand. Some stung a bit, but he hardly noticed them. Daryl was familiar with bodily injury; his violent childhood saw to that and he'd had many years of practice shutting out the pain. His inner pain, however, was a great deal harder to ignore. The two were on opposite sides of the suffering scale. The hurt he felt towards the situation with Rick and Joe's men, what almost happened to Carl, and Beth's kidnapping was more excruciating than any flesh wound.

Then there was Terminus. Daryl never doubted for a second they would make it out of there, not since they were all mostly back together. The people there relied on tricks and scare tactics to get the results they wanted. He could tell they didn't know how to fight hand to hand. Coming together as a group made overpowering Terminus easy. They'd run into Carol and Tyreese on the way out, making for a very emotional reunion with baby Judith. Now here they were, on the road to Washington D.C.

"Still think this is nuts," Daryl stated bluntly, kicking some rocks in his path as they walked.

After a discussion weighing both sides of the matter, Rick had decided they would join Abraham on his mission. Daryl was heartbroken at the thought of leaving Beth behind unaccounted for, but Rick was right; she could be anywhere. The group was set on going to Washington D.C. The mission: to save the world. The savior: a nerdy scientist with a mullet aptly named Eugene. Daryl knew better. He liked the guy well enough. Eugene had been instrumental in helping them at Terminus after all; but there was something about his story that Daryl had trouble swallowing. After what they learned at the CDC, it didn't seem entirely plausible. He suspected Rick had similar thoughts, but for the life of him didn't know why he was being quiet about it.

"What makes you say that?" Rick was striding along beside Daryl, his hand resting on the Colt Python nestled in his holster. The two of them had taken point, staying ahead of the group and Rick was prepared to spring into action at any moment.

Likewise, Daryl had his Horton pulled in front of him while keeping an eye out for walkers. "Just look at him. Guy looks like a World of Warcraft junkie who just walked outta his mom's basement when this happened." He paused to let Rick consider the thought. "You 'spect me to believe he's some scientist? Gonna save the world? Horseshit. I know the truth. We both do."

"I heard that," Eugene called out from somewhere in the middle of the group.

Daryl peered over his shoulder to see Eugene making his way up to the front. Daryl groaned at the thought of interacting with him again. Meanwhile, Rick had raised his eyebrows in slight amusement. He knew Daryl could only tolerate small doses of the man at a time. Eugene could be downright annoying without even trying.

Eugene sauntered up beside Daryl, matching his pace and gazing ahead. His face maintained the same blank expression they were all accustomed to seeing now. "I admire your testicular fortitude," he stated plainly, "but we're just gonna have to agree to disagree on this. I never could get into WoW."

Daryl shot Rick a pleading look, hoping to be saved from this awkward situation. Rick simply smiled, continuing to survey the surrounding area. Daryl flashed him a more hardened look.

"You might not want to do this right now, Eugene. It's probably best that you leave Daryl be." Rick said, giving in. "Now I'm not sayin' you have to, but if you get shot in the leg with an arrow, just remember that I warned you."

"I've already told your friend," Eugene began again, ignoring Rick completely and Daryl fought the urge to gag Eugene with his bandana, "I have strategically fashioned my hair in this manner as a defense tactic. If those people back there thought I was important, they would have used me to get protection and better shelter from the government officials. And in regards to the other part of your theory, I have no explanation for that. It just comes with the territory comrade."

Daryl grunted in response, enduring a few more painful minutes of one sided conversation before Eugene finally drifted back into the group. Daryl was eager to find vehicles soon so the chances of being forced to listen to Eugene would decrease dramatically. If he was lucky, maybe he'd happen upon a motorcycle. At least then he would have a chance to collect his thoughts instead of dealing with long-winded commentary from the one man geek squad; or Maggie. That was one discussion he wasn't sure he was ready to have.

..

Day had turned to night with Judith becoming increasingly more agitated. They found a spot not far from the road to set up camp until morning. Sasha had started a small fire and everyone was talking quietly amongst themselves. Everyone but Daryl, sitting against a tree, once again lost in his own mind. He kept replaying that night over in his head. He considered all the ways he could've done it differently. He thought about the group of walkers he practically invited in. Idiot. One moment of vulnerability and everything fell apart. It was unlike him not to be on guard, but Daryl had been shaken in his impulse decision to express his feelings to Beth. He wasn't going to apologize for that, even though it had ended in Beth being taken by an unknown assailant. He thought about how he should have reacted. But mostly, he thought about the days leading up to it. Daryl couldn't ever remember being that happy. He had been prepared to live there in that house with Beth for as long as he could get away with it. She'd taught him that he didn't have to just survive even if the world had gone to hell, and she had been the only thing that made sense to him then. He wasn't sure what he was feeling towards her, then or now, and it was driving him crazy.

Scanning the group, Daryl spotted Rick and Maggie in thoughtful conversation and couldn't help but wonder if Beth had been mentioned. As if to answer his question, Maggie glanced over at him and nodded at Rick. She said one last thing to Rick before getting up and walking over to where Daryl had busied himself testing the strength of his remaining bolts. She sat down beside him, bringing her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them.

They sat in silence for a moment before Maggie finally looked at him. "I was talking to Rick. Got to thinkin' about Beth. I told him I wish I knew what happened to her. He said I should come talk to you. He said you knew." Maggie paused, her lip trembling. "I need to know what happened, Daryl." Her eyes began to mist at the thought.

Daryl could feel his chest tighten but he figured this was coming sooner or later. Staring firmly at the ground, he searched for the right words to say.

"After everything went down back at the prison, I ran across her. She was lookin' for the kids. We got out and we just kept goin'." He paused as his head began to swim in recollection. Running through the woods with Beth, how distanced he'd been from her, and her quest for a drink that he didn't understand until he saw the tears rolling down her cheeks.

"It was like that for awhile, until she hurt her ankle..." Daryl's shoulders tensed as he remembered the panic he felt when Beth stepped on the trap. They'd been together for weeks and he suddenly felt more protective of her than he should've been. It was the thought of losing her that really got him. They'd grown close and when she was first learning the crossbow, he'd been in her personal space frequently, helping her hold it properly and take aim. He liked it. He'd had several conversations with her too and he found that he enjoyed talking to her; her presence was somehow comforting.

They were open with each other; he told her his short-lived dream of being an astronaut for two whole days and she told him how she'd wanted to be a cosmetologist when she was 13. That was the night Beth joked about getting her hands on his hair as soon as she found a pair of scissors. Daryl made it clear he'd be kicking and screaming the entire time. She let him know she was kidding, that she liked his hair either way, but she never stopped reminding him how terrified he looked at the thought of her cutting it.

"We stopped at some funeral parlor. " Daryl continued. "We were gonna stay there until she was good to walk again. Ended up getting a welcome wagon of walkers. I told Beth to get out while I handled 'em." He couldn't get Beth's last words to him out of his head. _I'm not gonna leave you. _She hadn't left. Someone had taken her from him.

"When I made it out and went up to meet her by the road, her stuff was all over the ground. That's when I saw this car speedin' off and I knew they had her." Daryl fought to control his voice but he couldn't keep his expression from giving him away. It always did every time. That familiar wrinkled brow and pained look washed over his face and he knew he couldn't meet Maggie's eyes if he tried.

"I ran after it but I couldn't keep up…I just couldn't keep up." He squeezed his eyes tightly shut trying to maintain composure. More than anything, he blamed himself. Beth should have been there with them but she wasn't, and it was his fault.

He'd chased that damn car for hours, finally losing the trail at the tracks. He was helpless; that killed him the most. Sitting there on the ground, one word resonated over the others in his head. _Gone._ Daryl repeated it to himself over and over. Beth was gone. Her words haunted him too, a ghost of moments passed. _I'll be gone someday…you're gonna be the last man standing._ She didn't know how right she'd been. His heart was ripped from his chest, taken along with Beth, and left with a hollow space.

When Daryl opened his eyes again, he noticed Maggie was still silent. He forced his gaze to move towards her, fearing the inevitable waterworks. Instead, she was watching him strangely, like she was analyzing him. He quickly went back to fiddling with his bolts and waited for what felt like decades before Maggie spoke.

"How long has it been like this?" She inquired earnestly.

"Like what?" Daryl responded, both confused and cautious, not wanting to give anything away.

"You bein' in love with my sister."

Daryl froze, feeling as if the air had escaped his lungs._ She_ _knew_. He shifted uncomfortably and flipped his defense switch on. "I ain't."

"Don't lie to me. I was born on a day, but it sure wasn't yesterday."

*****He could feel Maggie's prying eyes penetrating his skull, making him wish he could melt into the bark against his back. He'd made every conscious effort to keep what he was feeling to himself yet somehow she had cracked the mystery code within minutes. She knew what he, up until that point, couldn't identify. His mind raced a thousand miles per hour as the realization began to sink in. In love. He was in love. All he knew about it was what he saw on movies and television or what he read in books. Daryl didn't know what it felt like because he had never been in love. He'd had various sexual trysts thanks to the combination of Merle and booze, but one night stands were the extent of his personal dealings with the opposite sex. He never removed his shirt and always left immediately after the deed. Normally, he would close his eyes or fuck the girl doggy style so he wouldn't have to see her looking back at him; that was the type of intimacy he didn't want or need from them. This was all so new to him.

"It's alright if you don't want to talk about it," Maggie smiled slightly, "just know that I know, and I get it."

Daryl nodded stiffly, grateful that she wasn't going to press the issue. Still, if he was that transparent, he wondered how many of the others knew too. Rick? Did he know? Somehow, this only served to increase his fear for Beth, her whereabouts, and condition. He was a mess as it was; being aware he was head over heels for the girl made it that much worse.

"Wherever she is, she's okay. I know it." Maggie must have sensed his feelings again. "Remember, us Greene girls come from strong stock. She's not gone as long as you keep her with you, up here." She said, tapping a finger against her temple. Her words were somewhat soothing, easing the ebb and flow of Daryl's emotional state.

Maggie smiled weakly, but it quickly faded. "Do you know who took her?"

"Not sure. I never saw 'em. But the whole place was spic n' span. Someone was staying there, but it looked like they left. I think maybe it was them."

She gave him a look of helplessness before moving to stand. "Well, I'm gonna go to sleep. Rick said we'll need to be gettin' back on the road bright and early. But I'm here when you're ready to talk about it." She paused, waiting for a response. Daryl just nodded again and Maggie, apparently satisfied, turned and walked back towards Glenn.

Meanwhile, Daryl let the weight of her words hit him like a ton of bricks. Beth had never left his mind, not once, since that night. He wouldn't sleep. He couldn't. Every moment spent sitting there, attempting to assign some version of sense to this, was spent in agony; in anger and guilt and pain. Anger at the person who took her and anger with himself. He missed her, so much. He hoped she was fine and that, somewhere out there, she missed him too. But what if she wasn't fine? _She might be hurt. She might be suffering. That bastard could be doing awful things to her right now. _He desperately wanted to do something, anything. But what could he do? Daryl leaned his head back and allowed his eyes to close. He wouldn't sleep, but he could see her face clearly behind the black of his lids. It was the only comfort he could find in a sea of mental anguish.


	2. Chapter 2

***Zack Hemsey - The Calling**

Beth's head bounced off the window of the passenger seat, waking her up and causing her eyes to fly open. They must have hit a pothole. She'd fallen asleep on the way back from the supply run. They'd scored a few cans of food, a couple of water bottles, several boxes of pop tarts, and some stale cereal. She thought they came out pretty good, all things considered. Gabe had been right about the Christian ministries being places most people wouldn't think to look for food. She'd opened the door and banged on the side of it twice, telling Gabe to give it a minute, knife at the ready. It was a safety tip she'd adopted from Daryl during her time with him. Beth had adopted a lot of things from him now that she was with a man who'd only survived by hiding and sneaking around. She'd taken watch for walkers while Gabe emptied what was left of the donations area.

Having copious amounts of time to think, Beth wondered about Daryl more often than not. The two of them had been enough; they could make it through anything as long as they had each other. It's not that she didn't think he was okay. She knew he was. If anybody could survive in this world, it was Daryl Dixon. She just didn't know if he was okay _alone_. Beth knew he was a lone wolf for much of his life, but it wasn't because he wanted to be. After he'd opened up to her, it was one of the things he'd shared. More than anything, he was petrified of being alone in the world. She trusted that he would find other people eventually, people like him. The practical thing to do was to let him go because the chances of her finding him were slim, just like with the rest of her family. But the optimism in her wouldn't let her do it; that and something else. Her memory kept rewinding back to those few moments at the kitchen table before they lost everything they cared about all over again.

There was a simple question, a question answered with a look that said something more complex than the simple answer. Beth wasn't that oblivious that she couldn't read it; Daryl had been telling her he had feelings for her. The realization of it had floored her completely and left her speechless besides the automatic "oh". She had only started to process the meaning, forming a proper response when they were interrupted. She had much more to say, much more to ask. Beth had needed to talk it through with him; and a minute to sort through her own feelings regarding him. Suffice it to say she knew how she felt now without a doubt and she had faith she would see Daryl again so she could tell him exactly how she felt. She wouldn't blame Gabe for this sticky situation; it wasn't his fault.

Beth had got out through the window as Daryl had instructed. Hobbling up to the road, she'd looked behind her, both to make sure no walkers were close behind and to see if Daryl had made it out yet. She'd just stepped out onto the road, still looking back when she'd been side swiped by Gabriel's car. She was violently thrown a few feet to the ground, her head hitting the gravel with a sickening thud. Gabriel hadn't been going that fast, so thankfully she hadn't been grievously injured. There was no reason for anyone to be driving at night; it wasn't safe anymore, but he was the one who had been living at the quaint little funeral home. Later on, he'd explained that it was his from before the walkers happened and he'd been returning from a run later than expected when he saw his place overrun with walkers. He'd just turned around to leave when she "came out of nowhere".

Her vision had gone blurry and Beth could hardly move with the air being knocked out of her as well. She could hear him slam on the brakes, but it sounded miles away. He got out and ran over to her, examining her briefly to make sure she was still breathing. He had been murmuring something about God forgiving him; at least she thought that's what it sounded like. Beth could feel his hands slip underneath her, raising her off the cold ground and hastily carrying her back to his car. Beth had wanted to fight against it with every ounce of her being, but the blow had cost her every bit of strength she had. All she managed to get out was a barely audible "no" that left her mouth more as a moan. It had been wrong. She was supposed to wait for Daryl. He was supposed to meet her and they were supposed to leave together, not like that. She recalled a single tear gently sloping down her cheek as Gabriel set her down in the passenger seat. He got behind the wheel and drove away and there was nothing she could do about it. She knew her bag had been slung onto the ground and left; she hoped Daryl would take it as a sign that she hadn't left willingly.

Beth had woken up on a floor heavily padded with blankets next to a pew. Gabriel had told her she'd been out for hours; that she took a nasty hit and needed to rest. But she didn't want to rest. She needed to find Daryl. Beth had attempted to sit up and ended up crying out in pain. Her whole body ached and her head throbbed from where it had collided with the ground. She resigned herself to the situation then; she wasn't going anywhere for a while. It was a few days before she could even walk without searing pain shooting through her. The whole side of her had been a black and blue mess. As soon as she was well enough, she'd pleaded with Gabe to take her back to look for Daryl. She wasn't fool enough to think he was still there, but she had to check if only to make herself feel better. Gabe had taken her back and she'd instantly spotted her belongings still on the ground. Beth was amazed nobody had came along and taken them. More importantly, she was shocked Daryl hadn't picked them up. It had scared her to think he might not have made it out of the house. Throwing caution to the wind, she had run through the house looking for any sign of him, taking out a few walkers along the way. She hadn't seen his gear and if his gear was gone, so was he.

"Oh, you're awake," said Gabe, looking a little tired himself. "We have a problem."

"What is it?" Beth straightened up at the word 'problem'. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good.

"We're running low on gas. We need to stop and fuel up soon or we'll be walking the rest of the way back."

"Wasn't there a place we passed somewhere on the way we could get some, or did you pass it already?"

"I haven't passed it yet, but I don't remember exactly where it was." Gabe's lips turned down; he appeared genuinely concerned about possibly having to leave the car behind. "I hope it's not too much farther. I feel safer in here."

Beth nodded in understanding, "I know."

She had brought her bag along in case they had to leave in a hurry. If it came down to ditching the car, she would be sure to stuff it full of all the food and supplies she could fit inside before they did. Fortunately, it didn't have to come to that. Several minutes later, Beth saw the recognizable sign looming over the car lot from a distance. Her eyes brightened and a huge grin stretched across her face. Gabe seemed to be relieved as well, sighing and mouthing a silent thank you to God. Sometimes, she found herself baffled at how well he maintained his religion in a world like this. There'd been a time when she'd had difficulty keeping her own faith; the scars on her wrist reminding her every day of how much stronger she'd gotten, how much more she relied on her faith and her family to get through each day.

Gabe pulled into the car lot and turned off the engine. "I'll get the gas. You watch for the dead. Let's try to make this quick."

"Okay," Beth said, unsheathing her knife and exiting the car.

Meanwhile, Gabe went to pulling the gas can and hose from out of the trunk. Beth noticed him skimming over the few cars that were left, trying to choose one. He finally settled on a silver Chevrolet Silverado. She waited patiently while he opened the fuel door, inserted one end of the hose inside the tank, and proceeded to suck on the other. Beth looked on in fascination; she was positive she learned something new every day. There wouldn't be much but it was all they needed to get back. Beth had gotten sidetracked watching the process with the gas. Faintly hearing the sound of hissing moans, she jerked her head up just in time to see an assembly of walkers shuffling out from behind the building.

"We have to go _now_!" Beth yelled to Gabe as terror filled her. She was gripping her knife so hard that her hand was starting to ache.

"I don't have time to finish!" Gabe responded hysterically, throwing his hands around. He had also detected the walkers and looked back at her with wild eyes.

There were too many to count right off. If Beth had to guess, she would say there had to be 20 at least. The odds were not in their favor but Beth knew Gabe wasn't leaving without that fuel. She had to think fast or things were going to get ugly.

"Come on, we'll draw them away then circle back." Beth motioned for him to follow, grabbing her bag from the car and running into a patch of woods close by.

The walkers ambled after them groaning with hunger, smelling the scent of fresh prey. Beth's plan was to go deep enough into the woods to be able to make a few turns and lose the walkers but not so deep that they would get lost themselves. That was the plan, and it was a good plan too. There was only one problem; she never expected to run into another wall of walkers. Ten of them standing around aimlessly sent Beth grinding to a halt. She stopped so suddenly that Gabe almost ran right into the back of her.

"Shit!" Beth didn't curse often, but when she did, it was either because she was angry or conveying the gravity of the circumstances.

The walkers, attracted by the sounds, began to make their way over to her. Beth turned and went back in the other direction, hoping to dart another way, but she hadn't realized how hot on their heels the swarm of walkers behind them were. She came face to face with one and immediately had to sink her knife deep into the center of its forehead. The walkers had spread out a little causing Beth and Gabe to be surrounded.

"Wh...What do we do?" Gabe looked terrified, his mouth quivering, hand firmly wrapped around the cross hanging from his neck.

There was no time to think. That was it; they were going to die. Beth wanted to cry, but this was one of those times she wouldn't allow herself to. From somewhere deep in the niche of her psyche, Beth heard a gruff voice. _You said you could take care of yourself. _She felt the fighting spirit in her rise up again as she kicked the knee of another walker who got too close, sending it kneeling to the ground. This permitted her to plunge her knife through the top of its head, popping it back out with some effort. She knew she couldn't do this one alone; she could really use Daryl right about now, but she had to make do with what she had.

"Get your knife out," Beth ordered Gabe firmly. "I need your help or neither of us are gonna make it out of this!" Her eyes displayed her strong-willed nature and they were determined.

Gabe fumbled with the knife as he drew it out. Beth knew he wasn't too awful experienced in putting down walkers. It showed in the way he looked nauseous each time he stabbed one. She was set on slicing her way through the walker flood; they could make it if they only killed the ones in the way and didn't take too long on any one, but she wasn't so sure he would be able to follow through with her example. In keeping with her worry, she heard Gabe wail deafeningly from behind her. Beth whirled around, fearing the worst; that he'd been bitten and she would be all alone to face the horror.

..

Daryl didn't know how much time had passed; the days blended together for him. According to Glenn, a week had gone by since they began their trek out of Georgia. He was starting to think they'd have to make the whole trip on foot. Any cars they came across were either stripped or out of gas and they needed at least two to fit everyone. The entire group was exhausted, burnt out from all the time spent on the road. Abraham was annoyed at how long it was taking and made sure everyone knew it. Daryl didn't much like his attitude but reminded himself that he once had a similar one. Daryl was also getting tired of staying in makeshift camps in the woods. It worked well enough for its purpose, but they just needed a place to be for a while. Somewhere to recharge for the even longer journey ahead of them. Washington could wait. If what Eugene was saying was true, which he doubted, the bigwigs weren't going anywhere and the world had already ended so they didn't have to worry about that. Besides, the Georgia heat was no place for a baby; he worried about little ass kicker being exposed to too much sun.

Beth came to the forefront of his mind again; she'd be worried more than him. She'd been the only mother that baby girl ever knew, and she embraced her role wholly with no complaints. Daryl remembered how she'd been with her back at the prison. He always noted how attentive and nurturing Beth was when he came to visit little ass kicker. Sometimes, she was playing with her. Other times, she was cooing to her while feeding her. Still, other times, he caught her singing softly to the child, lulling her to sleep with country songs. Beth was a good mother. She never seemed discontent or irritated with the job; she'd volunteered to take care of Judith and she had committed herself to it. Daryl shook his head, willing himself back to center and forcing thoughts of Beth back to the recesses of his brain. This was no time for giddy feelings; he had to focus or risk messing up again. Lord knows once was enough for him.

He regarded Carol carrying Judith in the baby sling, becoming her new caretaker. He was still a bit wary around Carol; he didn't know what she was capable of anymore. Daryl thought he knew her and he'd been wrong, so very wrong. He still cared about her, still considered her a friend. But he couldn't help but notice how she'd changed. She'd become hardened and seemed to struggle with her humanity. He couldn't forget what she'd done, but he was willing to let it go for the sake of the group. Carol had saved Judith after all. He just didn't feel like he could trust her completely. Daryl hated losing people, loathed it, and she had broken his trust by killing those people without even talking to him first. He could have talked some sense into her. He knew he would be keeping her at a distance now. He couldn't help it; it was just how he was wired. Rick seemed to have forgiven her although he hadn't said it outright. Daryl understood why; Rick knew how it was to do ugly things in order to protect your family. There was still tension between them; her judgment had still been erroneous. Carol had hurt good people while Rick only did what was necessary to defend them from the bad ones. There was a mutual understanding of their similarities and where they diverged, with Judith being the glue that held that relationship together. Maybe Rick felt beholden to her and decided to give her another chance; Daryl couldn't quite tell, but he was somewhat glad. Carol had made a mistake, but she didn't deserve to be banished.

"We should find some shade soon. We need to get this baby out of the heat," Carol called out to Rick with a look of concern.

Rick cast his eyes from Carol to Judith, furrowing his brow. "If we don't find any cars soon, we'll find somewhere to cool down for a few. I know we're all tired and overheated."

They pressed on for another half hour and Daryl was about to suggest taking a break himself when Glenn spoke. "Guys, look!" He pointed up the road in disbelief.

Daryl followed Glenn's line of vision and spotted a sign up the hill. It was dirty and he could barely make out the words. Venture Rent-A-Car.

"Oh sweet baby Jesus. We hit the jackpot," Abraham said laughing, verbalizing Daryl's own thoughts. "They better have A/C. I'm sweatin' like a whore in church."

"Really Abe?" Rosita rolled her eyes.

Daryl had to agree with the man, though. The Georgia sun could be rather unforgiving in its heat waves and he was surprised Abraham hadn't yet been burnt to a crisp. However, his shoulders had patches of red and his face was flushed. Daryl knew that meant he'd be in some discomfort later on. Everyone's spirits seemed to lift as they made their way up the hill. Daryl only hoped the cars hadn't been ransacked or drained of all their gas yet. Drawing closer to the car lot and small building, Daryl spotted a few vehicles left; amazingly enough, among them was a Ford Explorer and a minivan, mostly untouched. They really had hit the jackpot.

For the first time in days, Rick glanced back at the rest of the group and cracked a small smile. "Michonne, Carl. Watch for roamers. Maggie, Glenn and Tyreese, you guys search inside. See if you can find the keys to these and check for anything else we can use. Daryl, I'm gonna need you to help give these cars a once over; make sure they're ready for the road."

*****Daryl nodded his compliance and moved to examine the minivan when he saw the car that had been forever etched into his memory. He stopped dead in his tracks and took a few steps back in shock.

"What is it?" Noticing the sudden change in Daryl's demeanor, Rick's hand quickly went to his gun; his eyes were frantically searching for the source that had put Daryl on edge.

"That's it," Daryl responded quietly. His mind was racing and he couldn't make heads or tails of any of it. He just knew what was sitting there right in front of him.

Rick's eyes narrowed in confusion.

"That's it," Daryl repeated more resolutely, "that's the car that took Beth." He nodded in the direction of the vehicle.

"Are you sure that's the one?" Rick inquired, studying the details of the car.

Daryl was sure alright. "I'd recognize that car anywhere. Lincoln with a cross on the back window," he said, rushing over to it.

Maggie's ears perked up at the mention of Beth and swiftly changed direction, speed walking back towards them. "Is she in there?!" she demanded frenetically. Her eyes had widened and her face seemed to have been drained of all its color. The poor woman was white as a ghost.

Taking her cue, Daryl flung the door open and peered inside. He checked the backseat and the floorboards to be sure. Nothing. _Damn it._ He had to know, one way or the other. He had hope Beth was alive, but even if she wasn't, he still had to know. It would destroy him, but at least he would have closure instead of the whole thing eating away at him, not knowing where she was or if she was okay. Maggie had gotten down on her hands and knees, looking underneath the vehicle. She shook her head when she leaned up again. Still nothing.

Daryl was starting to get frustrated. There was still one place left to look. "Pop the trunk," he ordered Maggie, motioning with his arm and walking around to the back.

She quickly ducked inside the driver's seat and located the button to open the trunk. As soon as it unlatched, he had his hands on it, and he noticed it was getting difficult to breathe. Daryl was starting to panic again, that familiar feeling he always experienced every time Beth was in danger and scaring the living hell out of him. Taking a deep breath, he slowly raised it up, still not prepared for whatever he would find inside. Would he find Beth? Tied up but still breathing? Would she be beaten and bloody? Would he find her already dead? The shining light in her eyes snuffed out by some sick asshole? A head wound somewhere to keep her from coming back again?

He almost sighed in relief when all he found were a few bags of food and survival supplies. Still, that could only mean one thing.

Intuitively, Rick knew what Daryl was thinking. "This wasn't abandoned. They're still around."

"Looks like the guy was trying to siphon some gas," Abraham chimed in, standing next to a truck with its fuel door open and a hose sticking out of the tank. "Must've got distracted by somethin'."

"We gotta find her," Daryl said, looking over to Rick. He wasn't going anywhere until they did.

"Alright, we'll set up here for the night and wait for them to come back. We can search the woods over there too, just in case." Rick looked beat but still determined to give his best effort.

Daryl was thankful Rick understood how important this was to him; to Maggie too. He couldn't say the same for some of the others. Abraham was shaking his head, apparently exasperated about having to delay the mission once again. Daryl didn't care; Abe would just have to suck it up. Beth was one of them and he wasn't leaving the state without her, not after finding such a huge clue. Come hell or high water, he would track her down, faith renewed. He would find her captor too and make sure he got his just desserts. After his conversation with Maggie that led to his revelation about Beth, he wanted her back with them even more. He didn't think that was possible because he had already wanted her back a great deal before that. Daryl was ready to utilize his expert tracking skills and start the search when a man's scream penetrated the entire area. He looked around, taking a head count. It hadn't come from any of his people. By the sounds of it, it had come from the woods nearby. Daryl exchanged a knowing look with Rick, both nodding at each other. Before the rest of the group could react, both men had taken off in perfect unison.

"Carl! Stay back with Carol and your sister and keep watch!" Rick shouted back over his shoulder as he ran. There was no time to plan this out.

**A/N: Leavin' ya hangin for another chapter, sorry! ****I didn't revise this one so you guys could see how I am without help lol. Okay, so I originally played around with the idea of just doing Daryl's perspective, but that would really limit me and I want to be able to show the key scenes between Beth and the other characters without Daryl present so every now and again, I'm going to switch to her POV. I don't have that great of a handle on her so let me know how I did. Oh, the zombie scene. I don't do well with descriptions so I hope that worked well enough. And I'm letting you all know that I littered, I mean littered, the whole chapter with parallels between characters and such. I salute you if you can spot them all! Now I'm going to bed. :)**


	3. Chapter 3

***Hans Zimmer - Time**

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Daryl's heart felt as if it was about to beat right out of his chest. From fear? Overexertion? Adrenaline? Maybe all three; he wasn't sure. The world was moving in slow motion for him, but he was positive he was sprinting as fast as his legs would allow. Skillfully dodging branches along the way, his breathing had become heavy from the effort, but he was ready to deal with whatever tragedy he was going to run into. He heard the crunch of several sets of footsteps moving quickly from behind, letting him know that most of the group had followed after him. All he could focus on, though, was locating the source of the scream that had the hairs on the back of his neck standing up. His stomach was churning at the possibilities, but he refused to let go of the hope Beth had helped build back up. He was _going_ to find her, intact, and everything was _going_ to be just fine. That was until he saw the walker convention. Leave it to fate to thrust him into a "life or death" situation with grim conclusions.

Launching himself directly into the fray, Daryl trained his sights on a walker. He fired a bolt, sending it flying through the temple. Gunshots rang out and bullets sprayed the area around him. Rick shot off two rounds before switching to his knife and lunging at two walkers ahead of him. Something happened the night with Joe and his gang; it was as if something had clicked on in the man, transitioning him into someone more primal. The walkers never had a chance. He jammed the knife through the eye socket of one and shoved it off his blade using his foot in its abdomen. In the same instant, he spun around to the other, stabbing it up through the chin with a look so feral even Daryl briefly took notice.

Meanwhile, Glenn and Maggie were fighting back to back, Maggie with a machete picked up from Terminus and Glenn with a lead pipe. Daryl didn't have time to load another bolt; he kicked one of the walkers to the ground and used his crossbow to bash its skull. He swiftly changed over to his own knife, impaling the rotting corpses one by one as they came at him. He cleared a whole row only to reveal another. Daryl wasn't finished. Two more walkers came in together with hands outstretched, ready to tear the flesh from his bones, their bodies merely inches apart. Daryl spun to the side then reversed his body's momentum to come around behind his targets. Before the sluggish undead could change direction he quickly thrust in, catching one, and then the other, in the back of the head. They immediately slumped to the ground lifeless.

*****Daryl still hadn't seen anyone outside of the current group, leaving him a bit disappointed. Still, he looked over the litter of bodies with satisfaction. They managed to take out every last one without any casualties. Daryl could see Abraham and Rosita using their guns to pick off the last few remaining. He picked up his crossbow and reloaded it. As he was finishing, he heard noises coming from behind him. Weight hitting the ground and rustling. Twisting around, Daryl raised his crossbow, eyes narrowed in focus and prepared to shoot another walker down. Instead, he was greeted with a mess of blonde tresses and blue eyes that were more like two heavenly bodies. _Beth_. His breath caught and his face softened at the sight of her. Her back seemed to be covered in grass and leaves; judging from the carcass laying face up close to where Beth was standing, she was knocked over by the thing and had to roll it off of her after killing it. Despite that, she was wearing a new shirt, a plumb tank top and her clothes looked relatively clean. Daryl refused to blink, afraid that she would disappear if he did — a projection of his imagination. He lowered his weapon and attempted to process what he was seeing. Beth was there, alive, standing in front of him. She didn't appear to be hurt and she was staring back at him with the same intensity that he was her.

Beth broke the stare finally, looking around at the rest of the group in shock. Daryl saw the tears welling up as she again locked eyes with him. He blinked, and she was still there, breathing life into this reality. It wasn't a dream. It wasn't a hallucination. It was real. It was Beth. Daryl's heart could've stopped and he would've died happy seeing her face again. He felt the sting of his own tears threatening to stream down his face, but he kept them at bay, suddenly aware of the group gathered around. Maggie, understandably, was the first to break out of the haze, rushing at Beth and pulling her into a tight embrace. The two sisters cried together in joy and relief while Daryl stayed planted where he was, eyes still fixed on the one person who kept him going in his darkest of times. He couldn't seem to pry them away, awkward as it was just standing there gawking. Not that he wanted to, but he felt he should be doing something; he should be saying something. No amount of words could do the moment justice, though. Daryl was inclined to stay back and let Maggie have the spotlight.

However, she calmed down enough to whisper something into Beth's ear with her arms still wrapped around her and Beth's eyes moved back to his. Daryl heart skipped a beat when she moved out of her sister's hug and began to walk towards him, wondering what Maggie had said to her. He hoped it had nothing to do with his non-confession the week before. He could only handle one thing at a time right now ─ baby steps. Beth threw her arms around his neck and squeezed; the best he could manage was placing one hand on the small of her back, gingerly pressing against it.

"I knew you'd find me," Beth asserted confidently.

Daryl's stomach twisted itself into knots as he felt the guilt rise up from where he'd stashed it away in his mind. "Looks like you found me," his eyes shifted shamefully.

The truth was he hadn't been looking for her when he should've been. He should've torn the whole state of Georgia up searching for her, cold trail be damned. But he hadn't. He hadn't and it wasn't okay. Beth deserved more than that. She deserved more than him.

Reading into the sound of his voice, Beth pulled back slightly, and Daryl saw her forehead was creased and she meant business. She looked him square in the eyes, as usual, not backing down from his self-inflicted perdition. "You _did_." She knew him too well now.

If Daryl had his way, he would completely envelop her in his arms and never let go. He would tell her how much he missed her and how much she meant to him. He would make it clear how important she was to him, saying all the things he should've said back at that damn kitchen table. But he hardly got his way on anything in life and this was no different. Whether it be external forces, bad timing, or his own stupid issues, nothing ever occurred quite the way he wanted it to. This time it was a combination of all three. Nonetheless, he was perfectly content seeing her glowing face and hearing her voice again. Nothing could ruin this for him. Absolutely nothing.

A twig snapped off to the left, causing the whole group to take notice. Daryl saw a man likely a few years older than him standing with his hand resting on a nearby tree. He looked shaken but otherwise unharmed. _Him_. Daryl's mouth tightened and his fist clenched. He saw no logic, only a villainous bastard he'd been itching to get his hands on.

Rick moved to speak first. "Beth, is this the man who took you?" He looked poised to attack the man himself, evidently condemning.

Beth opened her mouth to answer, but Daryl could no longer keep his shut. "He's dead is what he is!" He flung his crossbow back up and began to charge at the man.

"Daryl!" Beth commanded. "_No_."

Minding her order, Daryl stopped where he was but he wasn't about to lower his crossbow for this one without further explanation.

Sensing his need for more, Beth continued. "It's not like that. He _saved_ me. He hit me with his car. It was an _accident_. But I couldn't move. Instead of leaving me for walker food, he stopped and picked me up. He helped me."

Daryl considered the words she was saying; they sounded good, but he still could've had it planned out. "What's your name?" he asked the man.

"Gabriel."

"Alright, Gabriel, wanna tell me why you were out joyriding in the middle of the night?"

"I was getting low on supplies," Gabriel's hands were shaking and he was sweating bullets. "I went on a run about 10 miles out. When I was getting ready to go, a couple of thugs came in. I had to hide and wait for them to finish pillaging the place. They were there for hours. It was too dangerous to stay overnight. Needless to say, I got back later than I planned."

"So that place, that was where you were holed up?" Daryl demanded.

Gabriel simply nodded.

"Smart move keepin' your lights off." _Dumbass_. Daryl wasn't ready to play neutral yet, but he let his crossbow ease down. His one and only show of good faith.

Unknowingly, Rick had moved beside Daryl, deciding to inject himself back into the conversation. "That was stupid. You coulda' drove yourself right into a herd. Or wrecked the whole thing."

Gabriel was adamant. "Forgive me if I sound abrasive, but I've lived in this area for well over 15 years. I could run these roads with my eyes closed."

Daryl could relate; he'd memorized every inch of the mountains in his hometown after the incident with him getting lost. It was more of a necessity in case emergencies like that ever happened again, considering no one else cared if he went missing for over a goddamn week. He wasn't impressed.

"And you mean to tell me you didn't see me haulin' ass after you? You didn't hear me yellin' my head off? You didn't think she could, maybe, be with me?" Daryl's anger was welling up inside of him again.

Hanging his head in noticeable shame, Gabriel responded quietly, "I did."

"What?" Beth looked startled at this information. She hadn't known about it. "Why didn't you stop for him?"

"I saw you," Gabriel explained to Daryl, "in the rearview mirror. It was dark, but I could see your figure, and I vaguely heard you. I did, but I didn't stop. I was afraid."

"Afraid of what?" Daryl growled, thinking of shooting this man in the face anyway. He knew Daryl was running after him, and he had still kept going.

Gabriel met Daryl's eyes for the first time since the issue was brought up, and they were filled with remorse. "People," he responded. "She was injured. I couldn't leave her there. But you, you weren't. You would've killed me without a second thought. I wouldn't have been able to explain like I am now. You would've killed me, or hurt me and taken all my things. I couldn't risk it." He was in near tears.

Finally, Daryl let his body relax from the tense state it was in. He could understand that more than anything. The man was right; people were something to fear these days, perhaps more so than the walkers. If anything, he couldn't hold that against him. He still wasn't happy about it, but at least he recognized Gabriel's point of view. Rick seemed to relax as well, moving out of his stiff, aggressive stance.

Rick spoke, taking charge once more. "You took care of her. That counts for something. As long as she's okay, then I'd say there's no problem between us."

"You're breakin' my heart here, really." Abraham was at it again. "If you don't mind, there's kind of a time-sensitive issue we need to be hoppin' back on."

"We'll get back to it when I _say_," Rick snarled over his shoulder.

Daryl had turned to face Abraham and he hoped the redhead could feel him glaring daggers at him. There were so many different personalities in the group. Now, with the addition of Beth and possibly Gabriel, things were going to get interesting very quickly. Daryl could feel it in his bones.

..

When they emerged from the woods, Carl noticed Beth with them and went running towards her. Carol smiled in relief as he hugged her close.

"Judy!" Beth exclaimed, seeing her in Carol's arms. She walked over and Carol handed Judith over as she was reduced to tears again.

Rick smiled at the two. "Yeah, she's the real survivor here."

Everyone gathered around the cars, happy to be a complete family again. Eventually, Rick sent Tyreese and Glenn back inside the building to search for the keys and Daryl was asked to look over the cars once more. Maggie could not be pulled away from Beth and no one would dare try. Daryl wished he could keep Beth by his side, but that was unrealistic; there was work to be done. The bright side was that Abraham was so impatient that he took it upon himself to check out the Explorer while Daryl examined the minivan. They seemed to have been sitting there a while but were in decent enough condition. He determined they would run and should be able to get the group to their destination. Glenn and Tyreese came out with the keys to the vehicles, declaring the building clear and nothing else of much use found. They cranked both vehicles and checked the fuel gauges to make sure there was enough to get them somewhere. Daryl was glad these places required you to fill the tank up to where it was when you got it, or pay a fuel fee.

He spotted Gabriel continuing the task of siphoning the gas for his own car. Daryl scowled at the man, still a little upset over Gabriel's course of action. He had to keep reminding himself that he likely never would've found Rick and the others if he'd been picked up by Gabriel. In a way, everything had worked out the way it was supposed to. Rick made his way over to Daryl, appearing to be in thought.

"It's gettin' late. We need to find somewhere to hunker down, at least for the night. I'd say we could stay here, but I'm not sure how safe it is." Rick squinted his eyes, looking down the road.

Suddenly, Daryl had an idea. "Where's ol' boy stayin' at now?" he asked, nodding his head in Gabriel's direction. "We can bunk there tonight, if he's got room."

Rick paused, considering the option. "We'll make it work," he said, making up his mind.

Together, they went to discuss it with Gabriel.

"Hey, Gabriel, where about are you takin' shelter at?" Rick inquired. "It's gonna be gettin' dark soon, and we'd be grateful to have somewhere to lay our heads overnight."

Gabriel raised his head with a pained look shadowing his face. "Of course you can stay there. I owe it to you. I have a church a little more up the way. It has an adjoining house; we used it for daycare before everything happened."

Daryl was bemused at the mention of Gabriel having a church. "Have a church? I thought you were a mortician," he said suspiciously.

"I prefer the term funeral director, although I did use my house as a parlor and took care of everything there. Daryl, is it?" he asked, pointing at Daryl. "Well Daryl, it's a small town. I planted a church here, but the income I made from it wasn't enough to fully support me. I had to take up a job on the side. I went and got my director's license, my embalming license, and got a small business going. It wasn't much, but it was enough to get me by."

"That's fine," Rick interjected. "We just need a place to be."

"You can follow me there," Gabriel responded.

Rick nodded and turned to Daryl. "How many are they gonna fit?" he asked, referring to the vehicles they had just procured.

"The Explorer can take five and maybe one in the hatchback if they're small enough," Daryl replied.

"Carl."

"The van seats seven."

"We're not gonna have enough space for two people."

"Well, the reverend here has a car too," Daryl said, completely deadpan. "Two can go with him."

Rick looked like he was about to ask something and Daryl already had an idea of what it was; he stopped him before he even started. "_Not_ Beth," he said darkly.

Rick nodded his comprehension and signaled the group to circle in. He let them know they would be spending the night at Gabriel's shelter and would be leaving for D.C. in the morning. "We'll figure out the vehicle situation then," he stated.

Rick decided to ride with Gabriel in order to size him up some more. Michonne volunteered to be the one to go with him. Daryl ended up riding in the van; Rosita was behind the wheel with Eugene in the passenger seat. Maggie and Glenn were in the next row and he, Beth, and Abraham took the last row; Abraham mumbled something about not wanting to sit in the back and Rosita insisted he stop being a big baby. Daryl hated being piled in a car with so many people, but he didn't have much in the way of choices. Beth was squished up against his left side, though, and that was a perk as far as he was concerned. He hadn't been this close to her in what felt like decades. Her small, warm frame pressing against his side pacified his aggravation. Yet, he still couldn't figure out how he'd ended up stuck in the middle between her and Abraham. _Doesn't the smallest person sit in the middle? _Daryl hoped they would reach the church quickly; he didn't like this seating arrangement and he was going to make sure he didn't allow himself to get put in the same spot next time.

"Daryl?" Beth was looking at him with her beautiful blue eyes.

Daryl caught her eyes briefly, before looking away. He grunted, letting her know he was listening.

"I picked something up on the run; it reminded me of you," Beth said, digging into her pocket. "It was just laying there on the floor, like it fell off someone. Well, I fixed it up. I told myself I'd give it to you when I saw you again. So, here it is."

She presented him with a black onyx pendant necklace sculpted into the shape of a wolf's claw with a silver-plated cap embossed with a wolf's head. It wasn't huge, only an inch or so, and he could see where she'd rigged it with a black string and tied the piece together into a knot at the end.

"S'pretty fancy," Daryl noted. "How'd it remind you of me?" He already knew, but he wanted her to say it.

"The symbolism behind the wolf," she explained. "They have the gifts of intelligence, self-reliance, and endurance. They bring the energy of freedom and companionship. And it's believed that they're a powerful totem for intuition and telepathy. The wolf is a pathfinder by nature and guides you on your journey as a protector. He teaches us to how to find the resources we need and use them wisely, to evaluate each situation and adapt as needed, always being ready and prepared."

Daryl was studying the pendant as Beth spoke, amazed at how much she knew about it.

"The wolf is a great teacher," she continued, "loyal and loving to his family. They hunt together and move together as one. But the lone wolf is unique. He's strong and can survive on his own. He's learning a lot about himself, learning how to balance freedom with family and wanting family of his own."

He wasn't even sure if she was talking more about the totem or him now.

"He roams the forest strong, but he's searching for a mate. He yearns for it…it's his greatest hunt." All of a sudden, Beth's eyes were filled with love and admiration. "And he has within him the patience to keep going until he's blessed with the gift that he seeks. He must face his deepest fears before he can walk the forest at night with confidence."

Daryl got the feeling she was trying to tell him something. Maybe she had understood what he was trying to say that night. Maybe this was her telling him she did. Beth smiled lightly at him, somehow confirming that he was correct; he hinted a smile back.

"Well, aren't you gonna put it on?" Beth asked happily, her eyes lit up and excited, a bright blue to match her mood.

He realized he still had it in his palm. "Yeah, I mean, I ain't one for jewelry─"

"Give it back then." Beth interrupted him, her hand reaching for the necklace stubbornly.

"─but I'll make an exception for this," Daryl continued, pulling his own hand away.

Beth appeared to be mulling something over in her mind. "What about the ears?"

_Oh God. Of course she would be the only one to remember that._ Daryl looked at her in feigned chagrin. "Think we both know that was different. I was pullin' a Tyler Durden, or somethin'."

"You still put it on." Beth wasn't giving an inch.

"Okay, you win. That was the first exception. This is the second," he said, putting the necklace on over his head.

A wide grin spread across Beth's face as their eyes locked, and Daryl couldn't help but feel elated, happy just to make her happy. It sent him drifting back to the days when it was just the two of them, and he lived simply to put a smile on her face. He was glad he never lost hope while she was gone. It kept him from letting her go, and gave him the will to keep going in her absence with the thought that he would find her one day. In fact, if he could tie Beth to his belt loops to keep her from ever leaving his sight again, he would. But Daryl acknowledged that it might be bordering on the edge of insanity so he was content with having her as close to him as possible.

Abruptly, Daryl got the eerie feeling of being watched, like a victim with a stalker. He slowly turned his head to the right and was damn near nose to nose with Abraham.

The man's mouth was twisted up into a mischievous smirk. "Well isn't this just precious?"

Abraham's orange-tinted mustache twitched a little; Daryl wanted to rip it off his face for embarrassing him. Instead, he settled for a run-of-the-mill threat. "You wanna lose a limb?"

Abraham chuckled and leaned over into Beth's line of vision. "I don't think he's ever gotten a gift before."

"Watch it." Daryl tried to look as glowering as possible; unfortunately, Abraham didn't even look close to intimidated.

"You might wanna tighten the leash, sweetheart," Abraham said, paying no attention to Daryl. "Rabies, you know."

Daryl was aware Abraham was messing with him because of how easily he could get under his skin, but he could never seem to react any differently. Abraham knew precisely what buttons to push to get him going. Daryl knew Abraham enjoyed getting him worked up, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't beat the man at his own game. Beth was amused by him, however.

"Oh, leave him alone," she said smiling. "He's just getting used to it, that's all."

Abraham snorted and Daryl sat back, tightlipped; it was going to be a long ride to that stupid church.

**A/N: Introducing... THE BETHLACE. Get it? This is going to remain important symbolism throughout the story. Anyway, I had trouble with this chapter. It almost killed me. Action and description. Heavy on the dialogue, but it was important. ALL of it. I don't think I did it justice, but I'll let you guys be the judge of that. I was going to say something else, but now I've forgotten. OH. For a picture of the Bethlace, go to tumblr and search bethlace. My post should be on there. dixonministry. Enjoy, sorry it took longer than the last but I haven't had much time to sit down the last week. Maybe this will make up for it, maybe not. Leave me reviews if you want! I try to respond to all. They make me feel better about my writing and motivate me to speed up! EDIT: Ok I know Beth talking about the wolf symbolism is a little weird. I was going to have Daryl ask her how she knew so much about it and I surely did forget to because I was rushing. Apologies, but I will fix that in the next one for sure as well as something else I also forgot to throw in here. Sorry!**


	4. Chapter 4

**_*Panic! At The Disco - The End of All Things_**

_Click_. He listened to the water rushing at his feet ─ calming, melodic, intense. He liked the sound of it; the silence of the open forest broken only by the muted scrabble of it. _Click_. The water shimmered in the late afternoon sun as it plummeted over stones like mirrors smooth from the relentless liquid caress. Like a hundred diamonds, the water gave back sunlight so powerful its radiance fractured the horizon, too blinding to stand and stare. The scrawny nine-year-old was content to be perched on top of a flat rock watching the fading day. _Click_. He pressed the button on his retractable pen again. A nervous habit he'd developed though he wasn't sure when. Maybe after the beatings started. He carried it with him everywhere now. He squinted, turning his head toward the sky, realizing his tiny spot in the sun near the creek was the only place he felt safe. He wondered if that guy the other kids were always talking about could see him; the one who lived in the clouds. Jesus. God. They said if you prayed to him, which was just like talking to him, that he would answer you and give you what you asked for if it was urgent enough. You could even talk to him in your head and he'd still hear. Well, he figured his requests were just as important, if not more, than the rest. So, for the first time, the little boy closed his eyes and prayed.

_Dear God, I guess you already know who I am. You might already know why I'm talkin' to you too. But, just in case you don't, I'll go ahead and say it anyway. My dad, he's a bad man. He hurts me; my brother too. I don't know what to do. Please help us. I want him dead. I don't wanna go to no foster home. Merle says they separate you from your brothers there. But if you kill him, we can run away and get by on our own. Merle said so. You have to. I just wanna be happy. I know it's a lot to ask, but I can't do it since you say killin' people is a sin and I don't think I can. Please, if you're real and as powerful as they say, you'll do this for us. If you don't kill him, I know he'll kill us. He'll kill me._

The boy used the back of his hand to wipe the tears from his cheek and moved to swirl his toe in the running water. _Click._

"Daryl!" An angry, brusque voice pierced through the trees, echoing in the boy's ears. "You better bring your ass here right now, boy!"

_Click..click..click..click..click._

"If I have to come out there and get you, I'm a beat the shit outta you!"

The boy stayed glued to the rock, although his breathing had become shaky. It didn't matter. The man was going to beat the shit out of him anyway, no matter what he did or didn't do. _Let him come_. He wasn't moving. For as terrified as the boy was, he wasn't going to let his father win. Not this time.

..

"What are you doing sitting here by yourself?"

Daryl jerked around to look up at Gabriel as he was brought back to the present; thinking about past memories had sent him into a trance of sorts. A dozen dimly lit candles illuminated the, otherwise, dark church. He'd sat down on the pew staring at the painting of Jesus near the podium and somehow got lost in a memory. The group had arrived a few hours prior and was busy settling in.

"None a your business," Daryl replied as he turned back to face the front.

Hesitating only a moment, Gabriel moved to sit beside Daryl and followed his gaze to the painting. "Are you a believer?"

"Ain't in the mood for no missionary talk," Daryl said, eyes still glued to the depiction of Jesus on the wall. He'd lost count of how many people had tried to talk to him about Jesus; he'd scared them all off with a hard look and nothing more.

"I was just wondering."

Daryl paused before turning his attention back to the man, who was now donning full priest attire. "Must be nice to change wardrobe whenever you feel like it. The answer is no. Ain't been for a long time."

"I changed for the run, in case things got messy." Gabriel frowned, appearing genuinely upset by Daryl's words. "Why don't you believe in a higher power?"

"Never gave me a reason to. Not then and certainly not now. I guess he's havin' a blast watchin' us scramble around tryin' to stay alive."

"We have to have faith that it's all a part of the bigger plan God has laid out."

A familiar emotion Daryl recognized as anger stirred inside of him and he abruptly stood up, powerless to stop whatever was about to spill out of his mouth. Pacing back and forth between the podium and the pew, a string of curse words filled his head. Luckily, he was able to filter them and turn them into something less derogatory.

"Bigger plan, huh?" Spinning around to face the priest, Daryl's nostrils were flaring. "Why don't you go on and tell me what you think His plan is? What's so important that He has to let people suffer for?" Daryl pointed at the painting. "He ain't never done shit for me," he said emphatically. "Just sits back and lets it happen. Probably with a big ass smile on his face, too. Yet, he's s'posed to be loving. And just. But when a kid needs his help more than anythin', he ignores him. Some God He is."

Surprisingly, Gabriel didn't flinch; he sat listening intently with a look of concern clouding his face.

"No, I don't believe in Him," Daryl continued. "I believe in good people. People I can see. Good people listen. Good people try to help. They don't ignore your pain for their own selfish purposes!"

Daryl thought of all the times God's intervention could've came in handy in his life. There was no way Gabriel could understand his point of view; he probably led an apple pie existence before shit hit the fan. His parents were probably Christian folks as well; they probably sat down for breakfast at the kitchen table every Sunday. Gabriel didn't know anything about anything.

"I'm guessing this is a personal slight." Gabriel leaned forward, clasping his hands together. "But consider this. You wouldn't be who you are _today_ if not for the trials you went through back then. God doesn't burden us with anything less than we can handle. It's all a part of His plan for us. It might not make sense at the time, but it will later. For everything, a reason."

Daryl shifted from one foot to the other, suddenly aware that he'd inadvertently revealed more than he should have.

"We all have secrets," Gabriel said in a low voice. "We _all_ have a past. But all of it, no matter how bad it seems, happens to serve a purpose."

Daryl thought something like remorse flashed through his pupils, but he was feeling uncomfortable enough with the conversation. "Alright, that's enough with this chattin' about life like two old friends. Go preach to someone who gives a damn," he said as he passed Gabriel and continued to walk down the aisle.

Talking out of his ass was what he was doing, Daryl surmised. _He doesn't know me. He doesn't know anything about me. _He refused to believe this was all part of some big plan that everyone would be better off for in the end. The group had suffered and lost so much. Some people might deserve it, but Rick didn't; Beth didn't either. None of them did. Nobody stays happy for long in this world. He sure as hell couldn't attempt it without worrying when it was all going to fall apart again. Being with Beth had made him happy before Gabriel had taken her and that happiness was torn away from him. Now she was back with them where she belonged and he could feel the elation that came with her presence, but he still couldn't help feeling like his struggle to maintain it was far from over. Not by a long shot.

..

Dinner consisted of spinach and baked beans; it wasn't much but it was a welcomed sight for Beth, who had devoured it hungrily. Food was getting more on the minimal side and she couldn't remember the last time she'd been entirely full. Her stomach grumbled constantly and, at this point, something was better than nothing. Now, she and Maggie had made themselves comfortable on a bed in one of the rooms. Beth was writing fervently in her journal while Maggie looked on with a smile on her face.

"What?" Beth asked, shifting to her side.

"Just happy to have you back," Maggie replied. "What are you writin' about?"

"Everything that's happened today," Beth responded as she twirled her pen. She paused briefly, considering the merit of a question she'd been dying to ask Maggie for hours. "Maggie, how do you know when you're in love?"

Maggie grinned. "Well, there's lots of signs that'll help you come to that conclusion, like how much you think about them, but I think the one that matters the most is how you feel when you think of losing them."

"Empty. Torn apart, like you're missing a piece of you. Going through the motions but your heart hurts."

"Then I'd say you're in love. I'd say he's in love too." Maggie smirked.

At first, Beth didn't know what she was talking about. Then, it all made sense. Earlier, she'd whispered to her that Daryl had missed her too and she should go to him. Maggie, as sharp as she was, had caught on to his feelings and now she was informing Beth that they were both in love.

"How'd you know?" Beth inquired.

"About him? He tries to be secretive, but really, he's an open book. And you, I know. You think I didn't hear all that in the car? You might as well have told him you loved him."

Beth's face instantly grew hot. "He doesn't know…I don't think."

"You should tell him. But ease into it. Lord knows he might have a heart attack if you slap him with the 'L' word right away." Maggie said with a small smile.

Beth laughed.

"Go on. Go tell him."

"Right now?" Beth squeaked. "What if he's busy? What if he's with Rick or somebody else?"

"He'll make time for you," Maggie assured her. "Just take him to the side. I'm gonna go get Glenn to help me inventory what we've got."

Beth nodded, closing her journal and sliding it into her back pocket. She rose and gave her sister one last smile before she went out the door. This was going to be harder than she initially thought. She'd never been in love before. Jimmy had been sweet and she'd known him since elementary school, but that was just puppy love. And Zach, she'd liked him and cared for him, but she wasn't in love with him. It was easy to tell now after being with Daryl. When Zach had announced he was heading to the Big Spot with the others, she hadn't been scared and she'd been okay in his absence. But when she had to leave Daryl inside the house with all those walkers, she'd been so terrified she could swear her insides shook. The most telling thing was that it wasn't for herself; Beth was terrified for him. She knew he'd be okay, but the thought of losing him still scared her to death. She knew _she_ wouldn't be okay without him, physically or emotionally, and she hadn't been. How was she supposed to tell him that? Daryl's reactions could be unpredictable at times. She decided to wear her heart on her sleeve, as she always tried to prevent herself from doing, and hope for the best. Now, she just had to find Daryl.

..

*****Despite it being dangerous to be outside at night, Daryl found himself sitting on the steps of the house, staring at nothing in particular. He couldn't will himself to go inside, but he wasn't about to go back to the church with Gabriel either. He wanted to knock the man's head clear off his shoulders for trying to get inside of his. What Daryl wanted was to see Beth before she went to sleep; he was frustrated enough he'd had to let her out of his sight when they got there, but she and Maggie had to spend time together first. He could understand that.

"Hey." A familiar voice came from behind him.

Turning his head, he saw Beth who had managed to open the door and step outside without him hearing. Thinking about the tiny blonde really seemed to throw him off his game; Daryl really needed to work on that. "Hey," he responded.

Beth sat down next to him, but he didn't shy away from it. It was just the two of them out here, and he felt comfortable, a welcome reminder of their days alone together. They sat silently for a minute, him content to just be with her.

"I see you're still wearing it," Beth finally said, breaking the silence.

Daryl glanced down, noting the piece still dangling from his neck. "Guess I am. I been wonderin'…how you know so much about it anyway?"

"I did a paper on it back in middle school. I had to do all this research and it was all so interesting. I guess it just stuck with me. Or I'm just really good at retaining information."

Daryl looked at her in blatant disbelief. "Since when did they start teachin' about totems in school?"

Flashing that flawless smile of hers and a twinkle in her eyes, Beth responded, "It was less about the subject and more about learning how to format and write a paper."

"Fair enough," he said. "Somethin's been buggin' me about the whole Gabriel thing. I know you couldn't a seen him, but how come you didn't hear him comin'?"

Beth shrugged. "I was scared, Daryl. I couldn't hear anything over the sound of my own heartbeat. It was pounding in my ears, like something you would hear in a stethoscope. I guess I was careless, but I was more concerned about you."

Daryl paused, carefully considering his next words. "You know I never lost hope. I kept believin' you were out there somewhere, alive. You taught me that."

"I know," she said. "There's something I need to tell you before you get the wrong idea and start thinkin' crazy."

He nodded sadly, silently cursing himself for even considering the possibility that he could mean more to her than family. Beth was going to tell him it wasn't what he thought, that they could never be anything more than what they were. Daryl was so sure of it that he was already tensing up, preparing himself for the blow that would inevitably come and shred him to pieces. _Stupid._ How could he have allowed himself to get carried away? Love and happiness were never meant for him and he knew it. His mind had been playing tricks on him, telling him what he wanted to hear and showing him only what he wanted to see instead of the truth. Well, he wasn't going to sit there and play the fool. If he had to, he would just pretend it meant nothing in hindsight.

"That night…" Beth added, but she never got a chance to complete her sentence.

"Don't worry 'bout it," Daryl said, gazing toward the street shrouded in black. "Forget it happened."

"What?" She looked shocked. "What do you mean forget it happened? I can't just forget it."

"Why not? I did," Daryl said, turning his head to look at her.

"Liar," Beth responded, choking back tears. "How can you say that? It's not easy to just forget. We, we had something. You felt it. I felt it too. That's what I came out here to say. Some people can admit out loud they have feelings for a person, even if he is an ass." Beth's eyes were on fire now, indicating she had switched from hurt to furious in one fell swoop.

Hanging his head in guilt, Daryl realized he'd been wrong. She wasn't going to say they could never be. She'd come to confirm her own feelings. For whatever reason, he wasn't able to change gears. He'd made it a nasty habit that anytime he stuck his foot in his mouth, he never took it back; he just kept going in a similar vein until he was left alone, He'd change his tune later on but never in that same moment, no matter how mistaken he was. It was likely a childish behavior, but he didn't know how to begin to change that about himself. Besides, he was still convinced Beth was too good for him. There were still too many things she needed that he didn't think he could give. He wanted to, but he didn't know if he was capable of it. Daryl didn't know the first thing about women in this aspect.

"Listen, Beth." Daryl shook his head. "I don't know what you expect from me, but…I'm not that guy. I don't know how to…I've never been…" He didn't know how to word what he was feeling. _Typical_.

"You may not think you are, but I know you are. I've seen it," Beth said, taking his hand. "I don't expect anything more than what you can offer. Just knowing I have you is enough. We can take it slow, if that's what you want. But don't tell me to forget it, like it didn't mean anything."

Her hand was wrapped like a vine through his with no space in between hers and his. Her palm was small and soft against the contrast of Daryl's, rough and calloused from years of hard labor. He'd let her clasp his hand and lingered because he liked the feel of her, but he had a point to make. Carefully detangling his fingers and drawing back, he sighed heavily.

"It did mean something," he said. "But I can't be that guy. I'm not myself when it comes to you."

Beth blinked. "Yes, you are. You just don't know it because you've never been in a position to be yourself before. I swear you're just as bullheaded as me sometimes, Daryl."

She stood up and took a step towards the door before turning to face him. Daryl's heart was racing and he wanted nothing more than to stop Beth and accept the love she so obviously wanted to give. He wanted to admit that he was horribly wrong and he did want to see where things went between them, but something kept him frozen in place, watching her go.

"Look around you," she added, "things aren't exactly how they used to be. And sure, maybe you couldn't have this before, but you can now. The only thing left standin' in the way is _you_. Think about that." Beth turned on her heel and stormed back inside, leaving Daryl to stew in her parting words.

He felt awful; he felt sorry. However, both of these things only ended up pissing him off. He wanted to throw something, but making any kind of noise was a bad idea at this hour. He felt a compulsion to take his anger out on something, though. Beth didn't seem to comprehend why he was doing this, why he felt it was necessary to put space between them. Things had been getting too deep, and it was risky business becoming romantically involved with someone these days. It made you vulnerable. Vulnerability led to mistakes and mistakes could get you killed. It was the wrong decision; he knew that, but he had to stay on top of his game for the sake of the group and their safety. If it meant sacrificing his heart's desire, so be it. It's not like it wouldn't blow up in his face if they got together anyway. He hoped one day she would understand, but for now, he had to do everything he could to make it explicitly clear and he figured Beth would be better off for it. Daryl removed the necklace she'd given him and shoved it down in his pocket; a good first step, he assumed. He wasn't going to give it back; he couldn't hurt her like that, but maybe it would get her to see things from his perspective. Daryl considered going inside too, but he settled on giving it a minute until most of them had gone to sleep. He needed the fresh air anyway; breathing was becoming harder and harder to do and there was a pain developing in his stomach.

..

When he was sure there was no one up to question him, he'd carefully slipped inside, closing the door behind him with a soft click. Luckily, the foyer was huge so he'd been far enough away not to wake a snoozing Rick in the living room, sprawled out on the couch peacefully. Carl had made a pallet with Judith on the floor next to him. Daryl had quietly made his way up the stairs, searching out one room in specific. The first bedroom contained Carol and Sasha, with Bob and Tyreese on the floor. The second had Abraham and Rosita in the bed together and Eugene sleeping in a recliner. The master bedroom was at the end of the hall, and that's where he found Beth sleeping beside Maggie in the bed. Glenn had made his bed on a cot beside Maggie. He was a true gentleman, letting Beth take his place on the bed. Now, Daryl stood there leaning against the doorframe with the door open just enough to get a good view of the sleeping Beth. It was dark, but his eyes had quickly adjusted to the night and he could see her face well enough, the lines of care had vanished. Her breathing deep and steady, all of the muscles in her body relaxed. It had to be the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. He was aware he probably looked like a creep standing there staring into the room, but he couldn't have cared less. He was fully engrossed in the line of her jaw, the light pink of her lips, and the little dip where her neck connected with her collarbone; she was perfect.

Daryl could stand there for hours watching her sleep. He longed to be closer to her, to know what it felt like to press his lips against hers, but he had to keep reminding himself this was for the best. Nothing good came without a price, and he didn't know if he could handle it. He would have to force himself to accept that this was how things had to be and just be satisfied admiring her from a distance. The pain in his stomach still hadn't gone away, indicating it had something to do with his poor choice. He muscled through it, ignoring the meaning. He figured he should sleep, but he wasn't tired. He thought Beth being back would ease his mind enough to allow him to sleep through the night. Instead, he felt compelled to stand guard over her while she slept. He must have been standing there for at least twenty minutes before he heard a floorboard creak from somewhere close behind him. Subconsciously, he reached for his knife and turned to face the threat. Before he could raise it, he was met with the sharp edge of a kitana against his Adam's apple.

"Easy there, slick. It's just me."

_Michonne_. "Get that thing outta my face," Daryl said, sheathing his knife again.

Michonne lowered her weapon. "Technically, it wasn't in your face. It was in your neck," she retorted. "I could've had you, though, with how sluggish you were. What's got your focus off? I never could've gotten this close to you otherwise."

Daryl didn't respond, but one look into the room revealed what he couldn't.

"I see," Michonne said. "Can't say I'm shocked."

"What?"

"You're paper thin, Dixon," Michonne answered, referring to his recent behavior.

_Jesus Christ_. He should've just gone and shouted it from the rooftops with how many people already knew about it. This could possibly put a damper on his plan, but he would find a way to work around it.

"What are you doin' still awake?" he said, choosing to disregard her assertation.

"Just doing my part. Can't blame me for not entirely trusting the guy."

"I hear ya."

"So, does she know?" Michonne asked innocently.

"Don't exactly wanna talk about it," Daryl replied, his face downcast.

"Too bad," she said expressionless. "I'm already standing here and it's gonna be a long night. Enlighten me."

Sometimes, he resented how easily Michonne could push a response out of him. It's how their earlier conversations and getting to know each other had happened. She would ask him one question every hour and then pestered him until he gave her a straight answer. She wasn't going to stand down until he did.

"She knows," Daryl finally said.

"So what's the problem?" she questioned.

"There ain't a problem."

"Try again. Lying doesn't become you." Michonne tilted her head slightly.

Under normal circumstances, Daryl would've flown off the handle by now. He didn't like anyone getting inside of his personal space demanding answers. She was family, though, and he knew she only meant well. Not to mention, he wasn't that kind of person anymore. It'd take a lot more to get him riled up.

"She deserves better," he said quietly, looking back into the room.

"Now you _know_ that's not true. It's just an excuse." Michonne was drilling her eyes into him with that signature wrinkled brow.

"What am I s'posed to do? What would you suggest I do? I'm not experienced with this stuff."

"Yeah, you don't know how to be with a woman," Michonne said. "But you know what? She's never been with a _man_. You're on equal footing; you just can't see it. Don't be stupid and pass up a good thing because you're too scared to take a risk. Some things are worth taking a risk on."

"And you would know that?" Daryl asked.

"Yes, I would. After I lost everything, I didn't think I could feel a damn thing ever again. 'Til I found Andrea. She made me care again when I thought I'd forgotten how. And Carl made it okay for me to loosen up, to not be so rigid. And then Rick…" Michonne's voice trailed off and she looked away at the mention of Rick, the muscles in her face appearing to relax.

It took a moment, but it finally clicked. Daryl took a step back in surprise; he'd been so caught up in his feelings and concerns about Beth he hadn't even noticed what was evidently going on between Michonne and Rick.

"You serious?" Daryl could hardly believe it.

"It's nothing serious," she responded quickly.

"Lyin' doesn't become you," he said, mimicking her previous words, "try again."

Michonne responded by glaring at him like she wanted to punch him. "My point is if you've got a shot at love, take it. It could be the only one you get." She turned, walking back down the hall. "Besides, it's obvious you two adore each other. Quit wasting time you don't have." She said without looking back. Her voice was hushed, but Daryl could still make it out.

When she'd disappeared down the stairs, Daryl closed the door to the room to barely a crack and slid down against the wall. His mind was still blown by Michonne having feelings for Rick, but it wasn't that hard to believe when he thought about it. They'd been thrust into a situation similar to his and Beth's, with the addition of Carl. Of course they would've grown close as well. Something she'd said resonated with him, though. _Some things are worth taking a risk on_. It was true, Beth was worth it. She was worth everything. But he couldn't shake himself of the mindset he'd gotten himself into. Maybe if they found somewhere where they could stay without worrying about dying every second, he could try for her then. Truthfully, Daryl was scared. Scared of messing up and scared of not being enough. Relationships had multiple parts to them, one being sexual. He was afraid of that too. He just needed time to think, really. _Wasting time you don't have_. Annoyed, he dropped his head down and tried to push all of his concerns with Beth from his mind. It was starting to give him a headache.

..

Morning approached rapidly and Daryl had spent the entire night on the floor in the hallway. Everything ached as an ugly reminder that wooden floors did not double as comfortable beds. Daryl and Rick were one of the first ones up; they went and sought out Gabriel and told him Beth would be moving on with them. Gabriel had frowned, apparently upset about it before informing the two men that he'd been alone up until he came upon Beth and was a little fearful of going back to that. Reluctantly, Rick had asked the man if he would like to join the group. He explained to Daryl afterwards that they would need the extra car anyway. Gabriel had agreed a little too eagerly, Daryl thought. It was as if he was jumping at the chance to get away from the place, like it held memories he didn't want to be reminded of. Daryl was already suspicious of Eugene; now, he had to deal with his gut bugging him about Gabriel too. If this kept up, the group was going to be full of secrets soon. At least his wasn't much of one.

The gang awoke and quickly ate a breakfast of stale Corn Pops cereal. Following that, they began to load up the vehicles with as much supplies as they could stuff in. Beth bounded beatifically out of the house with a fresh braid in her hair, looking so angelic that Daryl had to stop for a moment and stare. She placed her bag into the trunk of Gabriel's car before she noticed him. Her smile faded, confusing Daryl for a moment, before he remembered he'd removed her necklace the night before and it was still in his pocket. Immediately, guilt and sadness filled his eyes.

"Where is it?" Beth asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

Daryl shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Somewhere safe."

"Look," Beth said walking straight up to him, "I know you're probably scared. But you don't have to be afraid of this. We're in it together, remember? Stop tryin' to push me away."

All Daryl could do was shrug, his throat suddenly closing up.

"Fine," she said and looked into Daryl's face. "If you wanna keep me on the outside again, fine. You know where I'll be if you change your mind." With that, she walked off and hopped into the van.

There went that pain in his stomach again. The tension between them was so palpable, he felt he could cut through it with his knife. Deep down, he didn't want to be doing this and he couldn't fully grasp why he continued to. It's just how he'd always been and altering it would take some real time and effort.

"Good job, dickhead."

Daryl turned to see Carl standing there, looking at him like he was a moron. Daryl was bewildered by the teenage boy.

"You better go apologize before she decides you're a douche. Then, maybe you'll get to kiss her," Carl continued matter-of-factly.

"Oh, for fuck sake," Daryl said in a strong voice. "Does everyone in the whole damn group know?! Don't anybody know how to mind their own business?"

Carl smiled slyly. "Your business _is_ our business, Daryl. End of the world rules. Didn't you read the handbook?"

"Smartass."

"I learned from the best."

Daryl had to try extra hard to conceal his own smile; the kid sure had a way of bringing out his good-humored side. Rick called for his son and Carl moved to join him. He had a point; Daryl knew he should apologize, but he would make time for that later. Right now, he was focused on getting on the road and covering some miles. He had offered to drive the Explorer in hopes it would give him time to sort through the mess in his head but had instantly regretted it because Beth would be in the other vehicle, and he could at least admit that he still wanted to be near her. He knew he had to figure this out before he drove himself crazy. If there was anything Daryl was better at than hunting and tracking, it was self-sabotage.

**A/N: Ok, I hope this pleases everyone. I added in everything I said I was going to that I forgot in the last chapter as well as a hint of Richonne wahaha. I hope you all enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it. I think that's all I wanted to say. As always, I love reviews so feel free to leave me some love and I'll try to respond when I can. :)**


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